


A Different Kind of Moon Dance

by iloveromance



Category: Frasier (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-03-10 13:07:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13502190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iloveromance/pseuds/iloveromance
Summary: She never imagined that teaching Niles to dance would change her feelings about him. But after accompanying him to the Snow Ball as his date, her feelings for him began to grow. And when she acted on those feelings, her world... and their relationship...began to change. (Episode: "Moon Dance")





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

It was just a friendly gesture on her part, helping someone she cared about; her friend… her best friend. He had been so excited when he boldly asked a woman, Marjorie Nash, to be his date at his club's winter dance that Daphne didn't even notice the tinge of jealousy that besieged her.

She had absolutely no reason to be jealous. It wasn't like she would ever be able to attend such a dance herself and she chided herself. She was happy for Dr. Crane. He deserved to go out and have some fun. However, his enthusiasm was short-lived when only days later, he informed her that Marjorie had canceled, leaving him without a date for the Snow Ball. She couldn't hide her disappointment and boldly asked if she could be his date. After all, there was no sense in letting those wonderful dance lessons go to waste. And he was becoming quite a good dancer, if she did say so herself. And somehow, during those hours of dancing with him, holding him close as he twirled her around, their friendship had deepened. He no longer seemed nervous about being in close proximity to her and she had to admit that it was nice.

It wasn't as though she was attracted to him romantically, although she couldn't deny that Dr. Niles Crane was very handsome. How his date (or any woman for that matter) could have broken a date with him to something as exciting and wondrous as the Snow Ball (or any place) was beyond her. Certainly Niles was pretentious, just like his older brother and there were plenty of things about him that drove her absolutely mad. But deep down, he was the sweetest man; never failing to pay her a compliment at any given moment. So when he announced that their lessons had come to an end because of his broken date, he looked so forlorn that she didn't hesitate to offer to accompany him. He accepted quickly, which made her incredibly happy, because he deserved every happiness in the world.

She could hardly wait to go shopping for the perfect dress. It took more time than she was used to and she went from store to store, searching for appropriate to wear for such an extravagant evening. She knew little to nothing about the event they would be attending but she knew Niles Crane. And Niles Crane only attended the best and most lavish functions in Seattle. So the dress she chose could be nothing less than perfect.

As the sun began to set, she was tired and hungry, having been in more dress shops in one day than she'd been in during her entire life. Nothing she tried on seemed right and although she told herself again and again that she would know exactly which dress to buy as soon as she spotted it, she was beginning to lose hope. She considered telling Niles that she had to cancel. It would be easy to make up an excuse. But she wouldn't dare fathom the thought. He was a sweet and wonderful man and she wasn't going to see him heartbroken twice. But time was running out for her to find a dress and she couldn't resort to wearing one from her closet. Everything she owned seemed dull and she'd worn them far too many times.

Like a sign from the heavens above, she saw it and her heart sang.

The red dress hung rather inconspicuously on a rack where it was certain to be overlooked. She herself would have missed it had she not taken interest in a lovely seafoam green gown hanging directly in front of it. But the silky red fabric and its vibrant color peeked out from behind the green dress, beckoning to her. And when she removed the red dress from the rack, her breath was taken away. It was absolutely stunning.

Without hesitation she rushed to the fitting room, eager to try it on. Her heart raced as she removed her jeans and t-shirt and then slipped the dress over her head. One look in the three-way mirror caused her to gasp in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The woman in the mirror stared back at her, wearing the same disbelieving expression.

The dress hugged her body; accentuating curves that she had no idea were there. And the slit on one side of the gown gave it a bit of sex-appeal. Looking sexy wasn't her intention and the suggestive slit on the side of the dress might have been too revealing but somehow it made the dress that much more pleasing. Perhaps Niles wouldn't' notice her attempt to look sexy. But a small part of her hoped that he might.  
She was eager to purchase it, but when she changed into her clothes and glanced at the price tag, her heart sank. Quickly she returned it to the hanger.

It was far beyond what she could comfortably afford and it would take her months to pay it off. But after having worn the dress, even for a moment, she found that she couldn't bear to part with it. She had to have it. In fact, never in her life had she wanted anything more.

On the way home she felt her heart skip a beat in anticipation for the evening and the days seemed to pass much too slowly. But finally the day had arrived.

She'd told no one about her date, save for Mr. Crane, who already knew since he was at Café Nervosa with the younger Dr. Crane when she'd asked to accompany him to the Snow Ball. She hadn't even told Frasier about her date with his brother, knowing full well that he would try to forbid it. She would never understand why he was so insistent on keeping Niles away from her, when clearly they were nothing more than friends. She would never tell a soul that the dance lessons had changed her feelings about Niles if only in the slightest and from time to time she had begun to think of him differently. It was a secret best kept inside.

Who wouldn't feel some sort of romantic attraction to a handsome man when so much of their time recently had been spent in each other's arms, dancing to romantic music? And she was grateful to Mr. Crane, who didn't hesitate to remind Frasier that he had vowed to be considered invisible for the next few days.

She still remembered the look on Frasier's face when she'd opened the door and saw Niles' standing there. He was clearly taken aback. But even more so, it was the look on Niles face that she'd remember all of her life. His mouth fell open and he looked her up and down.

"Wow!"

She laughed at the boyish look on his face, feeling a bit nervous. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. You look quite handsome yourself." 

And then to her surprise, he handed her a red rose; the sweetest, most romantic gesture she could have ever imagined. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word. And she knew that tonight anyway, she was the luckiest woman in all of Seattle.

Soon they were on their way to the Snow Ball, which was certain to be an event that neither of them would ever forget. Little did she realize that it was going to be a night that changed them both forever.


	2. Chapter 2

The line for the valet was long by the time they reached the aptly named Majestic Hotel in downtown Seattle, and Daphne's heart began to flutter. Despite their deep friendship, she realized that neither she nor Niles had spoken more than a few words on the drive to the hotel. And she felt a bit of unease. She'd tried her best to keep the conversation going, but each time she opened her mouth, the words just wouldn't come. The best she could manage was asking and answering questions that only required short answers of one or two words. It certainly wasn't like her (or Niles for that matter) to be so shy.

But perhaps they were both a little nervous. After all this was going to be their first official date after being friends for so many years. And it was in fact, a date. There was simply no other way to put it. Still, , she hated feeling so nervous around him. She'd known him for so long and had seen him almost every single day.

It was true that she was essentially the one who had asked him to be her date, she knew without a doubt that he would treat her like royalty. But she had to be careful. He was going through a rough patch in his life and he certainly didn't need for her to make it any more complicated.

And why was she so nervous? She shouldn't be feeling so nervous; not around Dr. Crane, a man whom she had known for three years and had seen almost every single day. But it was she who had asked him to be her date. But it wasn't a date, not in the romantic sense. Because she wasn't attracted to him in any way whatsoever, even if the signs pointed in that direction. It simply wouldn't happen. But she did care about him, deeply in fact. And it meant the world to her to accompany him to the ball.

She lifted the slim red rose that he'd given her in her hands and pressed it gently above her upper lip, inhaling its sweet scent. It only took her a moment to realize that the rose had no thorns. At closer inspection, she noticed the short smooth patches along the green stem, indicating that someone (was it he?) had gone to the trouble to remove each and every thorn. The thought that Dr. Crane might have done such a thing…

"Daphne, are you ready?"

Once again she turned her head, brushing a fallen tear from her cheeks. Damn, what was wrong with her, getting so emotional over a silly rose? She could feel Dr. Crane and the valet attendant watching her and she smiled, hoping that it appeared to be sincere.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I must have been lost in me thoughts."

It was a silly excuse, but to her amazement, Niles smiled. "I hope they were happy thoughts."

His words made her heart flutter and she took his hand. "Yes, they were. Thank you, Dr. Crane."

She'd often wondered what it would be like to accompany Niles on a date. Although he was pretentious and so much like his brother, he had a sweetness about him that Frasier would never possess. It was only on the occasions when she'd overheard him telling his brother about something romantic he'd done for his wife or a new woman that he'd met. Normally she dismissed the conversation and smiled with happiness for her friend. But on days that she was feeling lonely, it was hard not to think about him other than a friend.

But she shouldn't have had such thoughts at all. They were friends and he was the younger brother of her boss. And even if she did have romantic feelings for him, they would only lead to heartbreak; for she was certain that a man like Dr. Niles Crane would never feel that way about her.

"Daphne, are you all right?"

Again she looked up, horrified when she realized she'd been deep in thought. The valet attendant was now standing beside Niles, both men staring at her. Quickly she climbed out of the car and stood before Niles, who nodded to the valet. The car sped away, leaving them standing on the sidewalk. He was looking at her with such concern that she thought she might cry.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Oh… Yes, I was just thinking…"

"Look, if you don't want to do this, I completely understand. It was so kind of you to offer to accompany me to the Snow Ball, and for giving me the dance lessons, but if you're uncomfortable about this, I-."

He was clearly worried that she'd made the wrong decision in agreeing to be his date. But nothing could have been further from the truth. She had to reassure him.

Her trembling fingers went to his lips, silencing him. "Absolutely not. I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. I don't mean to be a nuisance. I guess I'm just a bit nervous."

"Daphne, please don't say that. You have never been anything but perfect."

"You're sweet. And you shouldn't say such things because you know they aren't true. And I'm sorry for admitting that I'm nervous. There's no reason for me to be feeling like this. Not around you and not after all of the lessons we've had."

"Well, perhaps it's not really nervousness at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe it's just... anticipation."

Once again she squeezed his hand and smiled. "You always know the right thing to say. Now come on, let's go inside and have a wonderful time. I can hardly wait to dance the night away in your arms, Niles Crane."


	3. Chapter 3

When they arrived at the door, Niles reached into his pocket and showed the attendant their tickets. In turn, Daphne's heart began to beat even faster. She felt like Cinderella, arriving at the ball, holding the hand of a wonderful and very handsome man.

Was Niles, she wondered, as nervous as she? On the surface, he was amazingly relaxed, but she shouldn't have been surprised. He'd been to these kinds of balls hundreds of times before, as well as operas and ballets; things that Daphne had only dreamed of attending. They were by all accounts second nature to Niles, but to Daphne it was a whole new world. Niles, she realized was doing everything he could to put her at ease. He was just that kind of man and had always been that way. And it was that thought that gave her the courage to slip her hands into his. He ran his thumb across her skin, sending waves up and down her body. she wasn't really courageous at all), allowing her to slip her hand into his. Almost instantly she felt him squeeze her hand, sending waves up and down her body.

The moment they entered the hotel, she gasped in disbelief. And she felt like royalty as they walked hand in hand through the huge (and very elegant) lobby. They stood in line among couples who were dressed in stylish gowns and tuxedos, but none of the men in attendance were as handsome as Niles. How lucky she was.

While the hotel lobby was incredible, nothing prepared her for the moment they entered the ballroom. "It's so beautiful, Dr. Crane." She remarked gazing at the large windows that seemed to reach into the sky. Huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling and tables with white linen tablecloths, napkins and candles were scattered throughout the room. The wooden floors were polished so beautifully that she felt a bit strange walking across it, as though she would tarnish the appearance.

The whole scene was like something out of a fairy tale. But the ballroom in Disney's Beauty and the Beast was nothing compared to this. And yet, in her long, slim red dress she felt like Belle, the princes who had won the Beast's heart in the movie.

She took a few steps forward but he stopped her for a moment. "Daphne? Just for tonight, would you call me Niles?"

Although she didn't feel right about calling him by his first name, he'd asked the question with such sincerity that she couldn't help but say yes. And the way his cheeks flushed ever so slightly made it all worth it.

"I think that's a wonderful idea…. Niles." Oh how she loved the way his name sounded on her lips.

"Niles… I like that. I think I could get used to saying it. Niles…"

"Thank you, Daphne. Your name is quite beautiful if I do say so myself."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane." And then she laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I meant, Niles."

"It's all right… Daphne. I could say your name a hundred times over and never get tired of it."

His words warmed her heart and she leaned to kiss his cheek. "That's very sweet. Thank you… Niles."

But as he led her to a nearby table, she was aware of the faces around her, all of them looking in her direction. "Well, it appears that we've made quite the entrance."

She said with a nervous laugh. But she noticed immediately that he wasn't laughing.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I…"

"What is it?"

"Well I just can't get over how incredibly beautiful you look tonight. That dress…"

Once more her heart warmed. "Niles, your compliments are wonderful, but I'm hardly as beautiful as some of the women here."

"You're the most beautiful, Daphne. You're an absolute vision. Everyone is looking at you." He said, making her smile. "I'm the luckiest man alive."

She squeezed his hand, knowing that his much-too-kind words were simply for show. But they touched her heart just the same. "And I'm the luckiest woman." She replied, meaning every word. "You look awfully handsome tonight, Niles."

He looked completely flattered by the compliment, although it wasn't the first time that she'd called him handsome. She was glad that she'd finally found the courage to tell him so.

"Thank you, Daphne. Would you like some champagne?"

"Oh that would be lovely, thank you, Niles."

She watched him walk to the bar where he was confronted by a very elegant woman and her male companion.

"Niles, darling. How are you?" The woman said in a tone that indicated that she really didn't care how Niles was at all. And Niles looked none too happy to be speaking to her either. But Daphne was impressed with how calm and cool he seemed.

"Hello, Lacy. How are -."

Lacy (what kind of name was that?) turned to her male companion, not even caring that she'd interrupted poor Niles, who was just making polite conversation.

"Andrew, say hello to Niles!"

"Hello Niles." Andrew said rather obediently and with no emotion at all. "We were just devastated to hear about you and Maris."

"Oh yes, devastated." Lacy said. "Everyone is talking about it."

"Really…" Niles said, clearly growing more and more uncomfortable. "And how is… everyone?"

"Devastated."

"Right… of course."

"I just don't know how you could possibly be managing on your own. I mean, Maris was so-."

Daphne appeared beside Niles and smiled. "Hello."

"Oh… is this your…"

Daphne took the empty champagne flutes from Niles hands and put them on the counter. "Yes, I am Niles' date and we came here to dance, so if you don't mind…"

As she led him toward the dance floor, he stared at her in astonishment. "Daphne, you handled that beautifully!"

She wasn't sure if it was the champagne or pure luck that made her feel bolder than she had felt in hours, but suddenly she knew that she wasn't going to let anything spoil their evening.

She took his hands in hers. "I'm sorry you had to deal with them, Niles. I know it hurts to be reminded of… your wife..." she said quietly.

"It's all right. Actually I wasn't thinking about Maris at the moment."

"Well, I'm glad. If you don't mind my saying so, you don't deserve her at all. And you don't deserve the attention of those gossipy twits! We came here to have a good time, not to be part of some… show! The night won't last forever, so let's not waste another minute, Niles Crane. tonight you're all mine!"

"Oh…."

She opened her arms, beckoning him to fill them. "Take me in your arms, Niles and the music will carry us away!" They walked to the dance floor, but the moment they were in position, the music stopped.

"Thank you, we'll be back in ten minutes." The conductor said.

As everyone around them began to applaud, Niles and Daphne looked at each other awkwardly and then they both began to laugh.

Save for the gossipy twits, Daphne was thoroughly enjoying herself. And Niles seemed to be having just as much fun. But she knew that the evening was going to hold many more surprises.


	4. Chapter 4

The moment the music resumed he swept her into his arms and they waltzed around the dance floor. Daphne felt like Ginger Rogers dancing in the arms of Fred Astaire, the way she'd often seen in the classic movies. But truth be told, the man in her arms was much more handsome than Fred Astaire and together, they were better dancers; in Daphne's mind anyway.

She looked around at the couples that surrounded them, placed (and only the slightest bit surprised) that almost everyone was looking in their direction. If she dared say so, it was obvious that she and Niles were the best dancers at the Snow Ball. If it were a contest, they would win for sure.

All of the credit, of course, belonged to Niles. Even after only a few dance lessons, he was an amazing dancer. Clearly he'd underestimated himself when he said that he didn't know how to dance. It was as though he'd been dancing all of his life. She smiled, even prouder to be with such a wonderful man.

When the song ended, Niles surprised her by leaning her over, bending her into a dip. The move brought looks of approval and hushed whispers along with applause. The whispers, Daphne hoped, were ones of enthusiasm. But it was hard to tell with this crowd. Still, she found that she relished the attention.

She took Niles' hand and led him back to their table.

"Are you having a good time, Daphne?"

The question almost made her laugh. "I can't remember when I've had a better time, Niles Crane. I'm on Cloud Nine!"

"I'd have to look down to see Cloud Nine!" he replied.

The compliment was the most wonderful compliment he'd ever paid her and once again her cheeks flushed. "Dr. Crane…" She used his formal name, completely forgetting that he'd asked her to call him Niles. But fortunately he didn't seem to notice.

"Daphne, I must tell you again, that dress is exquisite."

The compliment, although not quite as wonderful as the first, warmed her heart. "Thank you, Niles. It was way out of me price range, but have you ever seen something and thought "I have to have it?"

When their eyes met, she could have sworn that she saw his cheeks flush. But most likely it was her silly imagination. Before she could give the moment another thought, the orchestra began a new song. But this one was different than the previous songs. And as soon as the first few notes were played, she as out of her seat, slipping her hand into Niles'.

"A tango! Let's dance!"

He looked worried. "You never taught me a tango."

He was absolutely right. It was the one dance that she'd overlooked. But she wasn't worried. And she wasn't about to let the moment pass.

"You'll love it, Niles. It's perfect for you. It's a passionate, full-blooded dance that comes from the slums of Buenos Aires."

"Oh, I think I'll sit this one out."

"Nonsense." She said gently tugging on his hand. "You can do it!" Without waiting for a response, she pulled him out onto the dance floor.

They stood face to face, his blue eyes gazing into hers. It was difficult not to look at his lips for she wanted to kiss him oh so badly. Somehow she managed to will the feeling away.

"Now… There's only one rule in the tango." She explained.

"What's that?"

She moved closer to him until their bodies were almost flush. She'd never been this close to him before and her heart was almost racing at the thought. "Our bodies must be in close physical contact with not a sliver of daylight between us."

Just saying the words made her weak with want for him. But she didn't dare back down.

"I-I can do that." He replied, his voice suddenly unsteady. She wished that she'd remembered to teach him the silly dance in Frasier's living room. No wonder he was so nervous. But on the other hand, she was glad that they were on the dance floor and not under the watchful eye of Martin or Frasier.

Quite honestly, the tango wasn't an easy dance to learn, but she had complete confidence in Niles. He was the perfect student. When she tried to lead him further onto the dance floor, he hesitated.

"Don't be afraid, Niles. Daphne won't let anything happen to you."

It was, by all accounts, the silliest thing she'd ever said to him, but the words could not have been more sincere.

Before she realized what she was doing, she took his face in her hands. It was difficult not to think about how soft his skin was. It felt like silk beneath her fingertips.

She looked deeply into his eyes and launched into a story in an attempt to immerse him into the dance. "You're an Argentine slum dweller…" She began. "You have no house, no food, and no means of survival except for the tango."

As they danced, she realized that her story had worked; he was fully immersed in the tango. His eyes never left hers and when the music came to a climax, he seemed more confidence than ever.

"You're an angel! You're a goddess! You're beautiful!" He shouted, making her feel things that she'd never felt before. Her insides were like jelly and she was certain that if he were to let go of her she would faint. But she didn't need a reason to hold onto him. She loved being in his arms, dancing or no.

The words he spoke, she knew, were part of the act. She didn't have to look around to know that his snobbish friends were once again watching them. He was playing the role beautifully and she was so proud of him.

"I adore you!" he finished.

She looked deeply into his eyes. "And I adore you!" She replied, hoping that she'd said the words loudly enough for the snobby twits who were watching them to hear.

His expression changed to one of shock. It was a perfect continuation of their dramatization. He spun her around and froze.

"What?"

"I adore you, Niles Crane." She said more dramatically than before.

"I-I adore you too." He said, as though he'd forgotten that he'd said it once before.

Their dramatic performance was gaining quite an audience and Daphne knew that they had to make it a good one.

"I don't want this night to end." She said, never taking her eyes of off his.

"Neither do I." He replied.

"Then let's not let it!" She said. "I want to dance with you forever, Niles Crane."

After a few more turns, the song ended and they were once again face to face. But this time she was so close to him that she could smell the wonderful clean scent of his cologne. It was absolutely heavenly.

"This is the greatest night of my life." His eyes remained on hers and she felt as though she could get lost in them.

"M-mine too…" She stammered. She moved closer and closer and closed her eyes, her lips brushing against his.


	5. Chapter 5

Although she hadn't planned on kissing Niles at all, something happened to her when her lips brushed against his. It was supposed to be a brief kiss, simply for show, but she found that she couldn't draw back. She slid her arms around his neck and drew him closer, deepening the kiss. She drew back briefly and stared into his eyes but she barely gave him time to respond before she kissed him again. His lips were so soft, even softer than any man's lips that she'd ever kissed. And she'd kissed a lot of men. But this….

Oh, she knew it was wrong. It was oh so wrong. She couldn't lead him on; couldn't let him think that she would possibly-

His tongue ran across his lips in a gesture that he most likely wasn't aware of but she found it incredibly erotic. And she shivered, feeling almost guilty for the silent thought. As the moment passed it was becoming harder and harder to resist him.

"D-Daphne?" He managed to say.

"Yes?"

"They're playing another song. Would you-."

"Yes."

She had no idea what he'd just asked her, but suddenly he slipped his arms around her waist and drew her close. The song, when it began was no waltz, or tango or even a fox trot. It was a slow ballad to the most beautiful and romantic music she'd ever heard.

She pressed her body against his in much the same way as she had done when they were doing the tango, but when she lifted her head from where it rested against his neck, she stared into his eyes. It only took seconds to bring her lips to his yes again and she felt as though she'd been kissing him all of her life. He hesitated only a moment before he closed his eyes and deepened the kiss.

She knew that, in his mind, the kisses were just for show. As she caught a glimpse of the gossipy twits who were staring at them over their glasses of champagne, she couldn't help but smile. But deep down she felt something wonderful. Kissing the man she cared so much about was the most heavenly feeling imaginable.

Her lips were burning with need for another kiss but before she could try, she heard applause followed by the conductor's voice. It was then that she realized the song had come to an end.

"Thank you for coming, everyone. We hope that you enjoyed your evening."

No… It couldn't be over. Not now. Not yet.

"Are you ready to go?" Niles was asking.

"No, I-I mean… I'll just go to the ladies' room and I'll be right back. Is that all right?"

"Of course it's all right. Just take your time. I'll be over there." He pointed to their empty table.

Before she left, she walked over to the table and grabbed her champagne flute, emptying the glass in one gulp. The alcohol went straight to her head, but she didn't care.

"Would you like some more champagne?" Niles asked.

"Yes, please."

"Of course."

She was grateful to find the ladies room unoccupied. It gave her a chance to catch her breath; to calm her racing heart. She glanced into the mirror and quickly brushed away the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks. She had absolutely no idea why she was crying, except for the fact that the most wonderful night of her life was quickly coming to an end.

When she was calm and her appearance refreshed, she took a deep breath and returned to the ballroom. But when she caught a glimpse of Niles, she froze at the sight.

He was standing beside a beautiful blonde, their eyes, it seemed, were only for each other.

She swallowed hard. Her chest hurt so badly that she could hardly breathe. How could she have been so stupid? She should have known. He was handsome, rich and sophisticated. He may have been going through a painful divorce but, as she suspected, he wasn't going to be single for long. She glanced at him again, taking note of the two flutes of champagne in his hands. Were they, she wondered, for herself and for Niles or for Niles and this mystery woman?

'Stop being ridiculous.' She said to herself. Niles had every right to be with whomever he wanted and this blonde woman was just the type of woman he was suited for. Daphne had merely been doing him a favor by accompanying him to the dance and nothing more.

But her heart knew better and the tears came again, more freely this time. For, as his brother was always saying; 'We can lie to ourselves all we want, but the heart never lies'.


	6. Chapter 6

When she turned around, the beautiful woman with blonde hair was gone. Niles was alone, holding what looked to be a business card in his hand. No doubt the woman had given it to him. She was most likely intelligent and successful. Of course she was. Niles Crane would accept nothing less. It was obvious that he'd taken a great interest in her, given the way he glanced at the tiny card as though he was trying to memorize the contents by rubbing his thumb across the card's smooth surface.

For a moment she wondered why Niles hadn't just asked the woman to accompany him to the ball. She certainly looked to be available. But the truth was that Daphne didn't want to think about Niles being with another woman. It was a completely ridiculous thought, for there was little to no chance that she could ever be anything more than friends with her boss' younger brother. She blinked away tears and pushed the thoughts out of her mind. There was no sense in upsetting herself over something so silly. The more tears that fell, the harder it would be to hide them.

She took a deep breath and crossed the ballroom to where he stood; most likely thinking about the blonde. The idea hurt but she certainly couldn't blame him. He was a man, after all.

"Hello." She greeted him as casually as possible.

He looked up, clearly surprised to see her. "Daphne…"

"I'm sorry if I kept you waiting."

"Not at all. I was just talking to-."

"Yes, I saw. I-I mean, I wasn't eavesdropping or anything. I didn't want to disturb you and your friend."

He rubbed the back of his neck in a somewhat nervous gesture. "Well, she's not really my-." Their eyes met and he froze. His expression changed to the familiar one of concern. She knew exactly what was coming.

No matter how hard she tried, she had never been able to successfully hide her feelings from him. He always seemed to know when she was upset, lest she tried to hide it. He came closer and gently put his hand on her shoulder. The sweet gesture caused her heart to beat so rapidly that she found it hard to breathe.

"Daphne, are you all right?" His voice was so soft and kind that she blinked away the relentless tears that seemed determined to fall onto her cheeks.

Damn it…

She feigned innocence. "What?"

"You're crying."

Embarrassed, she looked down at the marble floor. "Oh, I-."

"What's wrong?"

She blotted away her tears with his handkerchief (when, exactly, had he given it to her? She had no idea) and smiled. "I'm sorry if I ruined your evening, Niles. I don't know why I'm carrying on like this."

"Daphne, no. You haven't ruined anything. This night has been completely wonderful. Please don't ever think-."

She stared at him, his handsome face, his beautiful blue eyes, his soft pink lips; the lips that she wanted so much to touch. Suddenly he moved closer, until he was so close that she could feel his breath on her face.

Oh God, he was going to kiss her, right here in the almost-empty ballroom, amid the twinkling lights, the flowers and the beautiful chandelier. It was the loveliest, most romantic setting imaginable. Could he sense what she was thinking? Could he hear her heartbeat? Was he feeling the same emotions? Did he know how much she wanted to kiss him?

He moved even closer, and brushed his lips lightly against hers. She wanted this, oh how she wanted it. But just when she thought that it might happen, he drew back.

Her heart sank. "Niles?"

Once again he stared at her, but this time his expression was unclear. And for some, strange, completely insane reason, she felt like crying.

"Daphne, I'm sorry. I-."

"Don't be sorry. Please…"

"You're crying. And I can't help but assume that it's my fault."

"Niles, no… Please."

"Daphne I can't thank you enough. Not just for tonight. Thank you for everything. For always being there when I need you. And if I've upset you in any way, I-."

Her trembling fingers touched his lips to silence him. "Don't…"

"But-."

"You haven't upset me at all, Niles. In fact, it's just the opposite. This has been the most wonderful night of my entire life. And it's all because of you. Thank you, so much." She longed to press her lips against his, but when she brought her face closer, she thought better of it and kissed his cheek instead. It wasn't what she had hoped for, but it was the right thing to do.

"I should probably get you home." He said quietly.

The words stung. Home was the last place that she wanted to be. But they both knew that the evening had essentially come to an end. Wordlessly she nodded, smiling when he put his hand on her back and led her toward the door.

When they reached the lobby, she couldn't help but notice that he was a bit unsteady on his feet and she lightly grabbed his arm to keep him from falling. She guided him across the slick marble floor, making sure to keep holding onto him.

He made a beeline for a plush chair and she quickly followed suit, watching him in concern. He sat down and closed his eyes, laying his hand over his forehead.

Worry crept into her chest. Something wasn't right. She went to him at once. "Niles, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I-I think that I over-indulged on the champagne."

Gently she stroked his cheek. "Shhh… It's all right."

"I'm… so sorry, Daphne. I'm humiliated."

"Don't be. We both had a lot of champagne. We were having a good time, it's to be expected!"

"Yes, but I'm afraid-."

"Of what? Oh, Niles, those snobby so-called friends of your ex-wife are long gone so you don't have to worry about anything anymore."

"Actually I wasn't. In fact I'd forgotten all about them."

"Good. But if it's not those gossipy twits you're worried about then what is it?"

"Um, never mind. I'll be all right. I-." He rose from the chair and she stood to help him. Together they walked out of the hotel.

The night air was crisp on her bare arms and she shivered. Almost immediately he took off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. The sweet and oh so romantic gesture touched her deeply. "Thank you, Niles."

He handed the valet his ticket and within moments, his car pulled up in front of them. The valet attendant got out of the car and opened the door for Niles, thanking him for the handsome tip. He then walked around to the passenger side and helped Daphne into the car, wishing them both a good night.

Niles shifted the car into Drive but he'd barely moved the car a few feet when he stopped suddenly, worrying Daphne yet again. She turned to him and put her hand on his forearm. "Would you like me to drive?"

His worried expression did not surprise her. In fact, she could hardly believe that she'd asked the question. But what happened next surprised her even more.

"Actually I think that's a good idea."

Before she could respond, he climbed out of the car and went to open the door for her. She felt like a princess as she took his hand and smiled. "Are you sure about this?"

"I trust you, Daphne. I hope you know that."

Overcome with emotion, she touched his cheek. "That means so much to me. Thank you, Niles. I promise to be very careful."

"I trust you." He repeated.

As she climbed into the driver's seat and fastened her seatbelt, she looked around the plush interior. Never in her life did she ever imagine that she'd be driving such a fancy car, much less be sitting in one with a handsome man beside her. She put the gear into Drive and slowly made her way out of the hotel parking lot. She wondered if he could hear her beating heart over the soft roar of the engine. Because she could hear it loud and clear.


	7. Chapter 7

Daphne slowed Niles' car into the parking garage and shut off the engine. "We're here. Thank you for letting me drive your car, Niles. It means a lot to me that you trust me so-." She paused when she realized that the sweet man beside her wasn't paying any attention to what she had said. He was fast asleep.

She sat there for a moment watching him with a smile on her face. He was so handsome. Her heart fluttered at the memory of the kiss they'd shared at the Snow Ball. Never in her life had she felt the way she had when his lips touched hers. In that moment, all of her worries seemed to slip away. When she was with Niles she knew that nothing could hurt her. She'd wholeheartedly meant what she had said before. She would never let anything happen to him. She cared about him too much.

She glanced at her watch, startled when she realized how long she'd been sitting in the car, staring at his handsome face. She couldn't very well leave him in the parking lot. He needed his rest. He had shown her the most wonderful night of her life and the least she could do (the very least) was to return the favor as best as she could.

She couldn't take him to fancy restaurant, to the opera or to lovely balls, like the one they had just attended. But she could see to it that he arrived home safely. And if need be, she would take care of him until he felt better. No doubt he'd be feeling a bit woozy for a while.

She glanced up at the unassuming apartment building. The words "The Shangri-La" were carefully formed in neon script letters that were lit up in green, bright enough to illuminate most of the parking lot. It was not at all the type of building that Niles was used to living in but it was his home for now. She'd never been here before, but she'd overheard him many times telling Frasier and Martin about the hell he'd endured by living there.

Martin, of course, had told Niles repeatedly that the Shangri-La wasn't such a bad place at all. And for Martin, that much was most likely true. But Niles, Daphne knew, was used to living in luxury; most notably his former home at the Montana, which was now unattainable, thanks to his shrew of a soon-to be ex-wife.

Her heart went out to him. No wonder the Snow Ball meant so much to him. There, at the elegant hotel, he was in his element. And Daphne was even more honored to have been his date.

She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Niles? We're home."

But still he slept.

She tried again. This time she lightly brushed her trembling fingers against his soft cheek. "Niles, it's time to wake up. We're home now."

To her dismay, he continued to sleep. But she really couldn't blame him. The poor man was exhausted, what with the stress of his painful divorce, his patient load and financial worries, it was completely understandable. Once again she wished there was something that she would do to help him. She knew that he would drop everything to help her in a heartbeat and she wanted to do the same for him.

She was so close to him now that she could hear him breathing softly; could see the rise and fall of his chest. Daringly she moved even closer still and then a bit more until her lips brushed against his. Like the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty in reverse, he opened his eyes. She couldn't resist cupping his face in her hands as she smiled.

"We're home, Sweetheart."


	8. Chapter 8

"Daphne I-."

Completely humiliated by what she had done, she drew back allowing him to remove his seat belt. He looked around, disoriented. Had he realized that she had been dangerously close to kissing him again? What had she been thinking, calling him Sweetheart of all things?

"Where am I? What happened?" He was asking.

"We're home." She repeated. "Well, your home anyway."

"What? I-."

She laughed and unfastened her own seat belt.

"Daphne-."

"Just wait here, Niles. I'll help you out." She climbed out of the car and grabbed her purse from the back seat. Her heart was racing as she walked around to the passenger side to open the door for him.

"Thank you, Daphne." He said, climbing out of the car. But he was unsteady on his feet, causing her hand to go to his forearm.

"Careful, Niles. You're a bit wobbly."

"Yes, I am, but-."

"Come on; let's get you inside, all right?"

When his car was securely locked, she took his arm and held onto him as they walked into the building to the elevator, which looked less than safe. But she knew that there was no way that Niles could make it up the stairs. They would simply have to take their chances. Fortunately the elevator made it to his floor without incident.

But even as they walked down the hallway to his apartment, she found that she couldn't let go of him.

At his door he fumbled with his keys. "M-My door key is somewhere here. I-I just can't remember-."

"May I?"

He looked at her in confusion and she smiled, gently taking the set of keys from him. It was obvious which one belonged to his brother's home and which one belonged to his Mercedes. But it was even easier to find the one that she was looking for. The sight appalled her. What kind of apartment complex printed the apartment number directly onto the key? She made a mental note to discuss it with him later. It seemed terribly dangerous, but at the moment, the only thing she cared about was getting him into his apartment safely.

"Here we are." She said, guiding him inside.

"Thank you, Daphne." He stumbled to the sofa, almost making a beeline for it, and collapse onto the cushion. The sight alarmed her.

"Niles, are you all right?"

"I-I think so. I-I drank far too much champagne tonight. I'm a bit dizzy and my head is-."

"Say no more. Where's your medicine cabinet?"

He pointed to the hallway. "I-in there, but-."

"Of course, what was I thinking? Now, just sit there and rest, all right? I'll be right back."

Taking one last glance at him, she made her way to his bathroom, pleased that she was able to quickly find what she needed. She shouldn't have been surprised, for even in the shabby apartment, Niles kept his belongings meticulously neat.

The bottle of aspirin in hand, she returned to the living room and smiled at the sight before her. Niles had fallen asleep on the sofa again. She considered letting him sleep, but she couldn't waste more time admiring him as she had done in the car. He clearly wasn't feeling well and she had to make good on her promise to repay him for his kindness.

She took the aspirin and a bottle of store brand spring water (a sight that worried her; Niles absolutely refused to buy store brand, unless it was a gourmet store. The Friendly Grocer brand, however, was far from his usual preference. And she couldn't help noticing as she peered into his refrigerator that it seemed awfully bare.

As she sat down on the sofa beside him, she felt the cushion shift under her weight. He woke instantly and lifted his head. "Daphne…"

"Here, take these and you'll feel better soon, all right?"

Dutifully he took the aspirin and then smiled at her. "Thank you Daphne. I'm sorry that I haven't been very good company tonight. I guess I shouldn't have had so much champagne."

The comment relieved her a bit, for she worried that he might have forgotten about the evening entirely. "Don't be silly, Niles. You had just as much champagne as I.

And as for your being bad company, stop it right now. Nothing could be further from the truth!"

"No… Daphne I-."

She cradled his face in her hands and stared into his eyes, much in the same way she had done at the Snow Ball. "You're a wonderful, wonderful man and I care about you so much. I can't tell you how wonderful this evening has been. Don't apologize for anything, do you understand? You've been absolutely perfect and I can't thank you enough."

She reached for his hand and squeezed gently, making him smile.

"Well…"

His lips were so inviting and she wanted oh so much to kiss him again. But she didn't dare. "Well, I suppose I should be going home now. It's late and you're not feeling well. I hope the aspirin helps. Thank you, Niles for a wonderful evening."

"Daphne, wait."

She turned to him and studied his handsome face.

"I don't want you to leave, but if you must, take my car. I insist."

"No, that won't be necessary, Niles. I'll just take a cab."

"Daphne-."

She rose from the sofa and grabbed her purse, but his hand slipped into hers, preventing her from moving any further. "Dr. Crane…"

"Stay with me, Daphne. Please… Just for a little while longer."

Her heart fluttered. "Well…"

"Please? It would mean so much to me."

She knew it wasn't right but oh how she wanted to stay. She wanted it more than anything in the world. "Of course I'll stay with you. Can I get you anything else? Something to eat, perhaps?"

He clutched his stomach in agony. "Oh no… I couldn't eat a thing. My stomach…"

"You should eat a little something. Don't worry about anything. I'll just make you a quick snack. And don't protest because I won't take no for an answer, all right?"

He smiled and covered her hand with his, making her shiver from the touch. "Thank you, Daphne."

She felt her cheeks flush as she rose from the sofa. "I'll be right back."

She made her way into the kitchen, unable to stop smiling at the thought of staying with him for a few hours. But deep down she wanted to stay with him forever.


End file.
